I knew today would come eventually, and it finally has. I started this blog last year partially out of boredom and partially as a vice. Now it’s time to put it to bed. Some of you may have noticed that … Continue reading →
Continue readingAuthor: johnsamms
Pressing Politics: The Bait and Switch and the $4 Billion Deficit
Of late there has been much hoopla surrounding the announcement by newly minted Minister of Finance, Jerome Kennedy, that NL’s deficit is ballooning to surprisingly high amounts. How high? $4 billion high. That is a gigantic burden for this province. … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: NL MHA Report Card
With the Muskrat Falls debate dying a slow but certain death and law school turning out to be a bit labor intensive, I have been slacking on the blog lately and for that I apologize. A while ago I thought … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: Tory “Politicos” Manipulate VOCM and other Media: Does It Work?
Last Saturday, the front page of The Evening Telegram caused a stir in Newfoundland and Labrador political circles as Steve Bartlett quoted an anonymous source (Tom Osborne?) who provided some insights into how the Progressive Party machine works – specifically … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: Pressing Politics: Top 10 Posts of 2012
In late spring 2012, I decided I’d start writing a blog for reasons largely unknown beyond creating a new hobby. I had no expectations for readership, and when the first post got something like 50 views I was shocked. 50 … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: Pressing Politics Stars in House of Assembly, Tories Elicit a Warning from Dean MacDonald
Yesterday I had a fair bit of time to kill, so I decided to head to the legislature and take in some of the Muskrat Falls filibusters. As I was sitting in the gallery, with the security people watching me … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: From Legal Certainty to Engineering Certainty: Nalcor Responds to Water Management Concerns… Again
The anonymous dark knight among the Muskrat Falls critics, JM, released another report recently detailing his issues surrounding the water management issue. The issue was initially raised by the 2041 group as a legal issue. I’ve noted numerous ti…
Continue readingPressing Politics: Dr. Kelly Blidook Cautious on Muskrat Falls Polls
Over the past couple of days we’ve seen two polls released pertaining to public support of Muskrat Falls: one by CRA and the other by MQO. The CRA poll consisted of one broad question: “As you may or may not … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: Newfoundland and Labrador Democracy: The Race to the Bottom
Sometimes when I talk about the lacking efficacy of our legislatures and our growing democratic deficit, I feel like one of those guys on a busy city street with a “The End is Near” sign. You know, the guy who … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: No Special Muskrat Falls Debate as Tories Continue to Catalyze their Demise
I’ve been trying to ignore the politics of the Muskrat Falls project lately in an effort to stick to the merits of the project as the politics surrounding this thing has just become distracting noise. If anyone wants to come … Continue re…
Continue readingPressing Politics: Dean MacDonald on the Gull Island Mess: “He Didn’t Even Read the Deal!”
Since Joey Smallwood’s infamous giveaway of the Upper Churchill to Hydro Quebec, there has been a romanticism around Newfoundland and Labrador’s eventual development of the Lower Churchill. It’s been the prize of pretty much every NL premier sinc…
Continue readingPressing Politics: Water Management and Adverse Effects: Nalcor’s Bennett Addresses JM’s Comments
Yesterday’s blog responded to Geoff Meeker’s most recent posting, where he criticized the Newfoundland and Labrador media while misunderstanding the water management issue.. Today’s blog addresses some of the great comments that were …
Continue readingPressing Politics: Meeker on Media and Churchill River Water Management
So I just read another piece from Geoff Meeker who, once again, decided to defecate on the reporting by the Newfoundland and Labrador media on Muskrat Falls. Specifically, he seems to think the Nova Scotia media “scooped” the Newfoundland m…
Continue readingPressing Politics: Government Releases DG3 and a Natural Gas Teaser
Today the government released the Decision-Gate 3 numbers, the key analysis before sanction of the Muskrat Falls mega-project. While we’ve all been looking forward to these numbers for a long time, they really change nothing when it comes to the …
Continue readingPressing Politics: Nalcor Reponds to Critic’s “Erroneous” Conclusions
So, I had planned to continue my Muskrat Falls series based on my interview with Nalcor for today’s blog… but that changed late last night when I received comment from Nalcor VP Gilbert Bennett regarding the most recent arguments from … Conti…
Continue readingPressing Politics: Water Rights and 2041′s Lacking Smoking Gun
Yesterday the 2041 group released a press release essentially saying that Hydro Quebec can hold the Muskrat Falls project hostage at anytime by determining the water flow downstream to Muskrat Falls. They did not say why Hydro Quebec would want ……
Continue readingPressing Politics: A Mythbuster’s Rebuttal: Transmission Lines, Holyrood Oil and Renewable Resources
I have to give Ed Hollett credit… he is a sharp minded fellow. After my blog on Tuesday where I purport to debunk three myths on Muskrat Falls, Hollett responded with three captivating posts in response here, here and here. … Continue readi…
Continue readingPressing Politics: Brazil Wading In Dangerous Waters
Progressive Conservative MHA for Conception Bay East-Bell Island, David Brazil, has gotten himself into hot water as The Evening Telegram reported late last week that he has been inappropriately involved with the administration of the Adult Education Association which received … Continue reading →
Continue readingPressing Politics: Protected: Tory Defection: Tom Osborne Confirms His Uselessness
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Continue readingPressing Politics: Protected: The Newfoundland Legislature, Backbenchers, and the Infamous Paul Lane
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